


Salvation

by ProsperDemeter



Series: Palm Trees and Scraped Knees [3]
Category: Deadpool - All Media Types, Iron Man (Movies), Spider-Man (Tom Holland Movies), Spider-Man - All Media Types, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types, The Defenders (Marvel TV)
Genre: Avengers: Endgame (Movie) Spoilers, Bisexual Male Character, Bisexual Peter Parker, Character Death, Drama, F/M, Family Feels, Gen, M/M, Major Character Injury, Ned Leeds is a Good Bro, Other, Peter Parker Needs a Hug, Peter Parker is Tony Stark's Biological Child, Post-Spider-Man: Far From Home, Tags Are Hard
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-08-21
Updated: 2019-08-21
Packaged: 2020-09-23 00:28:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,221
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20331025
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ProsperDemeter/pseuds/ProsperDemeter
Summary: "Tony hadn't exactly left instructions on how to parent a superpowered teenager after his father sacrificed himself for the entire universe."Or, Peter is faking it until he can't anymore, Rhodey doesn't know how to be a parent, something is going on at the homeless shelter, and everyone except Peter just wants him to slow down and catch his breath.





	1. One

**Author's Note:**

> This is tied into "Palm Trees and Scrapped Knees" which is not complete at the moment, but this is happily the plot I was searching for with that whole story. It does not have to be read to understand this - just get that there may be some references you miss. 
> 
> Peter is Tony's biological son, Rhodey is his godfather, and Endgame and Far From Home still happened. Everything but that after credits scene. 
> 
> I don't know who Peter is going to end up with at the end of this so... Maybe a poll will happen or maybe not. Who knows.
> 
> Mostly, I intend this to be a story about grief, family, and finding yourself in the midst of superhero chaos. 
> 
> Enjoy.

Rhodey had no idea what he was doing. 

Tony hadn't exactly left instructions on how to parent a superpowered teenager after his father sacrificed himself for the entire universe. In fact, Tony hadn't left instructions for much. Which was why, months after his friend - his brother - had passed Rhodey was getting called into Principal Mortia's office, Peter slumped down in his seat like it would make him look too small to be punished for whatever had happened. 

"Sorry to call you in here, Colonel." Principal Mortia apologized without actually apologizing, his hands crossed in front of him. 

Rhodey nodded stiffly, his arms crossed over his chest. He didn't say anything but he didn't need to, the longer they were there the farther Peter seemed to shrink into himself. "Do you want to tell him what happened, Mister Stark?" Principal Mortia led with surprising patience. 

Peter flinched at his own name. 

He looked so much like Tony when he sat like that. Rhodey hadn't noticed it before the way he noticed it now. Peter had the same jawline, the same height, and the same pattern of freckles over his nose. He made the same expressions, downturned eyebrows and squinted eyes looking at the off color rug to show his displeasure. "Not really, no." Peter was almost so far down in his seat now that he was on the floor. 

Rhodey's hand on his shoulder stopped him from going any lower. "Peter." 

It was all he needed to say, really. "Nothing happened." His nephew insisted in that annoyingly stubborn way he also inherited from Tony. 

"Mister Stark started a fight." Morita interrupted with a roll of his eyes. 

Rhodey sat up straighter. "You what?" Peter winced at the steel in his voice. 

"It was with a few other students in the hallway. One of them has a broken nose and the other one is being taken to the hospital for a broken wrist." 

"Peter James Stark!" 

Peter winced again. 

"I know this hasn't been an easy year for, Mister Stark." Morita continued as though Rhodey hadn't spoken. "And the parents of the other kids involved decided not to press charges if Peter was suspended and apologized." 

"I'm not apologizing." Peter glared at the space above his principal's shoulder.

"Like hell you're not." Rhodey spit out between clenched teeth. "How long is his suspension?" 

"Two weeks." Mortia said with a sigh. "Now I think it's best for Peter if he sees someone to talk through his emotions. After losing a father, an aunt, and coming back from the blip many students are having trouble adjusting to life-." 

"We appreciate your concern, sir." Rhodey stood up stiffly. It wasn't the first time someone had suggested that Peter had someone to talk to. But Peter had seemed fine just that morning. Had seemed to be coping okay, all things considered. "I think I can take it from here." 

It was the same tone Rhodey used on misbehaving cadets and Peter knew it. Rhodey knew he hated it, even. Still, Peter followed him out the door, his backpack slung over his shoulder and eyes still determinedly looking anywhere but at Rhodey. "We're talking about this." Rhodey announced once they sat in the car. 

"Nope." Peter moved to get out. The mechanical locks stopped him short, though. "I could literally break your door." Peter muttered. 

"Click it." Rhodey snapped his fingers and Peter, even angry, listened. 

Rhodey merged onto New York City streets. "Fighting? That's not your style, Pete." 

Peter didn't answer. 

"Listen, kid. I know you're hurting-." 

"I'm fine." Peter snapped, venom in his words. Rhodey pretended not to notice the tight grip Peter had on the edge of his seat. 

"Yeah sure." Rhodey scoffed. "And I'm Captain America." 

"Sam wouldn't appreciate that." 

"I don't care." Rhodey rolled his eyes and pulled off the street. "Listen, kid. I'm worried about you." 

"You listen." Peter's grip relaxed and that easy, innocent smile passed over his face. "I'm sorry for getting into a fight. It was stupid and won't happen again." 

"It better not." 

"I promise Uncle Rhodey." 

It was too easy, a part of Rhodey protested. He was taking the apology at face value when he should be pushing. Peter was a model student, typically, but ever since getting back from his trip to Europe the kid had been a mess. Happy had thought he had made some progress, gotten the kid to talk and cry and let it out for once. Rhodey had seen Peter after the fight with Mysterio. He had counted the scratches on his face and the twitches in his fingers. Peter had had the E. D. I. T. H glasses clipped to his shirt like that was where they belonged but he hadn't looked Rhodey in the eye. 

He was still refusing Pepper, she told him. Peter didn't want to talk to her ever since the funeral and seemed only too willing to ignore the fact that Morgan existed at all. 

Rhodey knew it hurt him to have Tony and Pepper get married and have a child without him there. He knew it must be rough on the kid to come back to see that his father had made this whole new life without him in it. If Peter would just talk to him Rhodey would tell him that it was never meant to be a life without Peter. That Tony had set up a room for him, cried so many times, gone back to drinking, and told Morgan bedtime stories about her big brother. Rhodey would tell him that Tony had refused a funeral even after five years and had gotten so old so fast because a parent was never meant to outlive their child. He would make sure that Peter knew that Tony hadn't wanted to live without him, but when Pepper told him she was pregnant he hadn't been able to leave the baby inside her either. 

Rhodey would make sure Peter knew that Pepper didn't mean to write him out and it wasn't Morgan's fault at all that Tony had left her so much. Pepper had flinched when the lawyer had read off what Morgan and her were left. Tony hadn't known that Peter would come back, but still he had left the majority of the company for him and the property he owned for Morgan. 

Rhodey knew that Peter didn't want any of it if he couldn't have Tony. 

But even if Peter wasn't talking to Rhodey it wasn't like Rhodey was talking to him. They were dancing around each other - focusing on small things until they had to focus on the elephant in the room. Peter didn't want to stay with Pepper in a house he didn't know with a sister he had never met. Pepper wanted Peter but not the way she should. Morgan didn't even really know who he was. And Rhodey and May were his godparents. 

Morgan still had a mother to take care of her. 

Peter had… well he was stuck with Rhodey. 

And Rhodey had no idea what he was doing. 

-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-

Rhodey jerked awake on the couch to his phone going off. "Ello?" He mumbled, dragging a hand down his face. The television slashed blue light over him and the gears on his legs creaked when he moved to sit up. He glanced at the clock - four in the morning. 

"I'm so sorry, did I wake you?" May wasn't Peter's family by blood but he definitely took after her. 

"May?" Rhodey coughed lightly to clear his throat, blinking to wake himself up. "What's going on?" 

"Please tell me Peter's in his room." 

Rhodey could have sworn he had died and come back again in the short time it took for him to confirm that Peter, was, indeed, in his room. In fact, the teenager was passed out on top of his covers, the bottoms of his Spider-man suit still on, and his mask clenched in his fist. Rhodey counted the seconds between his breath even though Peter's asthma had been cured after the spider bite. "Yeah." Rhodey sighed and dropped onto the bed beside him. "He's here." He spoke softly, hopefully to not disturb the kid. 

"Oh thank god." May sighed to match him. 

"Why?" 

"There was an apartment fire on the news. Ten people died." 

"Damn." Rhodey whistled. "He got home hours ago." 

"Good." May sounded relieved. "Good." 

Peter's face scrunched up, his body turning towards the warmth of Rhodey's. "Dad?" He mumbled sleepily. 

His eyes didn't open and Rhodey hoped he was too out of it to hear his heart skip and beat and his breath catch in his throat. He didn't think he could say anything other than the noise that came out when May said goodnight and he hung up his phone. Instead of speaking, Rhodey tangled his hand in Peter's soft curls and breathed. 

Hopefully that was enough for now. 

-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-

Tony had left specific instructions on what were to happen to Peter if he died that he hadn't changed since Peter was eight months old and Tony had first tangled with Norman Osborn. No one had had any concrete proof it was Osborn that had caused anything, though, so Tony had ended up in the hospital and Peter would have gone into Obadiah Stane's care if Tony hadn't acted fast. It was that thinking that had landed Rhodey with Peter when Tony went missing in Afghanistan. It was that thinking that had Tony adding May Parker as Peter's godmother when Rhodey had first donned the Iron Patriot suit. 

Peter was to go to Rhodey first and May second. And, if neither of them were around, then it would be Pepper. She hadn't been his wife until after Peter had died in his arms on Titan and when he had come back Tony had a hard enough time accepting Peter's death to even worry about changing his will. Why would it matter who Peter would go to when Tony died if Peter died first? 

No one had expected this. 

Except for Stephen Strange, but that man had been off the grid for a while now so Rhodey couldn't exactly beat him up for answers. 

Which left him where exactly? 

Right. 

Here. 

Staring Peter down when he left his room in blue and red spandex in the middle of the day. 

"Nu-uh." Peter jumped, almost onto the ceiling. "Go change." 

"Uncle Rhodey." 

"No." Rhodey shook his head sternly and used his best imitation Dad Tony voice. "It's the middle of the day. Too early for Spider-man." 

"I don't have school, though!" Peter insisted. 

"Yeah, cuz you got suspended for breaking a kid's arm." 

"It was his wrist." 

"Like that's better?" Rhodey pointed at the door stubbornly. "Go change." 

"Spider-man could help out, though!" 

"Nope. Peter Stark is grounded for two months. Spider-man is taking all blocks between six and nine off." 

"Rhodey!" 

"That's final, Peter, or so help me I will make you spend two weeks helping Clint sling cow shit on his farm." 

Peter huffed but obeyed, guessing incorrectly that the threat was wrong and convoluted and Rhodey didn't actually have the heart to send Peter away. "Can I go to the lab at least?" Peter yelled through the door. 

"What like this is a vacation?" Rhodey scoffed. "You're helping May at the shelter." 

"What shelter?" Peter peaked his head out of the bedroom, stumbling into an old pair of sneakers that Rhodey knew had belonged to Tony. He had the E. D. I. T. H glasses on the edge of his nose, looking more like his father on his way to being late to a class at MIT than he had ever looked before. 

Rhodey felt like an iron hand had reached in and gripped his heart to squeeze it into submission. "The same one you helped out at over the summer." 

"Oh." Peter stumbled over his own words. "O-okay. Can I go to Ned's after?" 

"What part of grounded don't you understand, kid?" 

Peter flushed.


	2. Two

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Everyone processes grief differently and, while Peter's a hero, he's still a child. He's not cutting out Pepper or Morgan in a purposeful way and they will reconsile. 
> 
> TW: brief allusions to rape/non-con. It's not any of the main characters but still.

Every Wednesday Rhodey met with Sam, Clint, and Carol met up for lunch at a bar in Harlem called Luke's while Peter was in Decathlon. Rhodey always ordered the same thing, Carol was always nursing a beer, Clint always killed them at darts, and Sam always had some new hilarious story about Bucky learning the 21st century. This week, though, it was just Rhodey with his greasy french fries and veggie burger, and Carol with her condensation dripping beer. "Monica's joining the airforce." Carol said, looking down at the bottle she cradled between her hands. She had her jacket slung around the back of her chair and Rhodey hadn't even bothered bringing one. 

"That's great." Rhodey didn't know if it was great, and the wince on her face showed him that she didn't either. "She doing good?" 

"Training is going well. But training is always doing well." It was accompanied with a wry smile and quirk of her brow.

Rhodey thought she was unfairly beautiful. 

"You'll never get anything different from kids like her." Rhodey agreed with a toast of his water. 

Carol observed him. She probably noticed the bags under his eyes, the weathered frown on his face and the phone resting face up on the table. Rhodey knew that if the screen turned on it would be to an old picture from MIT - him and Tony posed at graduation. "How's Peter?" 

Sam referred to Peter as Mini-Stark and Clint referred to him as Spidey. Natasha used to call him Petey, the only person in the world allowed to do so without fearing his wrath. Clint used to call him that too until recently. Rhodey knew it hurt Peter just a bit to lose that nickname with his aunt. 

But Carol always called him Peter. Sometimes, when she was feeling particularly fond, it was Peter Stark. It was consistent. Rhodey and Peter both appreciated it. 

How was Peter, though. That was a loaded question if Rhodey had ever heard one. 

"He's…" Rhodey stuffed a fry in his face to think over the question she posed. "Complicated." 

"The best kids are." 

"He got suspended." The words fell out of his mouth before he could stop them. "Broke a kid's nose and another kid's wrist. I don't even know why he did it." 

Carol furrowed her brow. "And that's not like him?"

"No!" Rhodey vehemently defended. "Peter doesn't get into fights." 

"But he's?" Spider-man, her eyes seemed to tack helpfully onto the end. 

"Yeah but he was also raised to try and talk out a problem before using your fists." 

"Tony Stark taught him that?" Carol had gotten quite close to their little group during the five years it took to fix the Blip. Her and Tony had oddly gotten along with the shared weight on their shoulders. She had been there when Morgan was born, slept over the Stark house often enough that she knew it like the back of her hand, and visited still every other week. 

It wasn't that she doubted Tony's abilities to raise a child. It was that she knew who Tony was. And Tony Stark was not known for being someone to talk out a problem before using his fists. "Ben and May Parker taught him that." Rhodey supplied. "But like, that's not even the problem." 

"What is?" Carol asked, stealing a fry. 

Rhodey knew she knew the answer before he even said it. "He's angry, good. I could care less how many fights he got into because at least he'd be feeling something." Rhodey was like a leaking faucet talking about Peter. If someone twisted him the wrong way it would all come pouring out. "After Ben died, Peter hid from us for weeks until Tony dragged him out of his shell. But Tony's not here now and he's the one person Peter really needs." 

"Not true." Carol pointed at him. "He needs you." 

"Yeah for a house." Rhodey snorted. Carol frowned disapprovingly. "And to be his uncle, I know. But I don't know how to do this stuff, Carol. I know shit happened in Europe - Fury sent me the SHIELD file on Mysterio. I know Peter stopped him and he shouldn't have had to. But Peter won't talk to me about it. And he thinks I don't know that he's been sneaking out every night to be the friendly neighborhood arachnid teen from hell but I'm not dumb." 

"Everyone copes different." 

"Yeah but this isn't coping." Rhodey insisted. "He won't talk to Pepper and won't even make plans to get to know Morgan… I want him to be angry. I want him to cry for hours at a time. I'd know how to deal with that." 

Carol was silent for a long moment and Rhodey was too, trying to swallow passed the lump that had suddenly lodged in his throat. "Maybe," she was looking at the bottle in her hands, the label half peeled off. "Maybe he's not acting like Peter on purpose." 

Rhodey cleared his throat before speaking. "What do you mean?" 

"I don't know either of them that well," But Carol was ridiculously good at reading people. "But Peter's acting not like he would but how Tony would." 

And wasn't that some shit to unpack. 

Rhodey waved down the bartender. He needed a drink. 

-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-

Norman Osborn was running for Mayor on a platform of full disclosure and honoring those that passed in the Blip. People fell for his charming smile and sugar coated words left and right. Harry didn't know how to tell the public just how much shit his father was full of. Ever since returning from the Blip, Norman was having trouble reconciling with the fact that Harry had taken over Oscorp with full support of the board and Stark Industries behind him. He had broken the glass case Harry had full of certificates, degrees, and family pictures and mementos in revenge like he used to slap Harry around. 

Harry didn't have to like it to have to put up with it. Contrary to belief, Norman wasn't the worst father in the business world. Harry had grown up in a relatively stable home, with a mother for most of his life and a father who, while always working, provided for their family. Harry had grown up with friends, a good education, and a guaranteed career when his father inevitably passed away. 

Sure, that day had come sooner than anyone expected. And, sure, Norman had given Harry enough bruises to warrant suspicion from teachers and close friends, it wasn't all that bad. 

Harry had a whole company to run now, a high rise apartment in the second biggest building in New York City, no student loan debt, and a smart, beautiful girlfriend. He had literally everything he had ever wanted… And still his father leaning over his desk, hands planted firmly on the glass and cruel smile in place, terrified him so much that his hands started to shake and Harry almost started stuttering. "I can count on Oscorp's support, yes?" His father had said during the investors meeting. 

Harry hadn't agreed but he hadn't disagreed either. Who else was he going to support? Norman Osborn at least had money for a campaign and Harry and Oscorp could maybe make sure that he followed through on his promises to the people. "And the support of our mutual friends?" That part was what had been hissed in Harry's office privately, his father's wrinkled hand sliding over a phone number that Harry had deliberately erased after his mother died. 

He had been fourteen and angry at the wrong people. He regretted it almost immediately, but Norman hadn't allowed him to search for the number himself. And after a few years, the lifelong friendship had fallen into the background of black eyes and boarding schools. 

Stark. 

His father's handwriting was neater than Harry thought it had any right being. 

Harry didn't want to call him. Not for this. Not when he was so much older now and Peter… had just lost the most important thing to him. 

Harry wasn't dumb - he knew what the papers were trying to dish out. Was Peter the heir to the Stark fortune or was Tony Stark's youngest child, Morgan? Which one would be the next Iron Man? Which the next Tony Stark? It seemed like everyone and their mother were trying to pit one child against another. 

Harry didn't call. 

It's Harry. I'm here if you need me.

He typed out instead, and hit send before he could regret it. 

The answer wasn't immediate. No, the answer came later when Harry was sitting on his leather couch reading a book with a glass of wine sitting full on his coffee table. It was later than Harry thought the other boy would be awake. Sure, Harry had grown five years but Peter had stayed the same. 

The answer was a stupid science joke. 

Harry startled himself with a laugh. 

Miss you, Har. 

Miss you more, Pete.

-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-

New York at night was something Peter didn't think he would ever get used to. The wind was howling between the buildings, the city still alive beneath the rooftop he crouched on. Malibu had been loud too, but the placement of the Stark mansion ensured it was serenely soft save for the sound of waves breaking on the shore at night. Here, Peter couldn't even close his eyes and see it anymore. He wasn't even sure if he wanted to. 

Peter didn't have any memories of Malibu without Tony in them. 

Karen was quiet tonight, which meant that the City was quiet tonight and, honestly, quiet wasn't good for Peter's mental health. "Peter," Karen said softly. Peter still jumped. "We have a disturbance a few blocks away."

Peter could hear it if he strained. "What's going on?" 

"It appears to be a mugging." Not original. 

Peter shot a web, pulled on it to make sure it was tight enough and lept. 

Nothing compared to slinging through the city. 

Peter remembered when he was younger and Tony had taken him for a ride with the Iron Man armor. It was great then. Freeing. 

But this? 

This was better.

Peter smiled despite himself. 

"Is this stuff coming out of you?" His father had asked, distressed, concerned but also curious when Peter had shown him for the first time. 

"Ew, dad, what?" Peter had laughed with a crinkle of his nose. 

It was different now, he thought, his smile fading quick. Being Spider-man was the only thing that really made him happy nowadays. 

"Karen, what am I looking at?" Peter perched on the side of a brick building, glancing down the dark alley. 

Karen highlighted three figures, one obviously a young woman, and the other two bigger burlier men. The woman was struggling heroically, but Peter couldn't help but notice that her shirt was already unbuttoned and shirt torn. "Why don't you leave the lady alone?" Peter jumped down behind them. 

The two men jumped, the woman - girl, his mind supplied, he looked about his age - kicked one of them in the shin. She had been crying, and her dark hair was halfway out of her bun. She had a broken heel she had kicked out of, and there was a ripped school uniform jacket on the ground. "Aw come on, little Spider." One of the men said, this one with a long jagged scar down his neck, said. "We're just trying to play." 

Peter wasn't feeling the sass tonight. 

He shot a web at the guy's face and he stumbled back, clawing at it. It may have been overkill, but Peter was frustrated, so he roundhoused the guy in the head for good measure. The man dropped down, passed out. The other ran away, and if the girl hadn't thrown her shoe at him, Peter may have let him go. 

He webbed that guy too, in the back of the legs. He face planted into a sewer drain. 

"I had that." Her voice trembled as she said it, and she hasitly tried to rebutton her shit. 

"Hey." Peter went for his best, softest and most comforting voice. "Are - are you okay? They didn't do anything, did they?" 

"The damage was already done." Her hands shook and her knees were scraped. 

Peter felt sick thinking of what that meant. "Let me call you an ambulance." 

"No thank you." 

"At least walk you to a hospital." 

She looked up at him through her lashes. She had a big, purple bruise on her cheek. "Okay." She muttered. 

"Can I?" He asked softly, his arm out to wrap around her slim waist if she would let him. 

She swallowed, determined. "Yep." 

Peter helped her limp out into the street, most of her weight on him. He could take it. "I'm sorry I didn't get there faster. Karen, call the cops, please." 

"They're on their way, Peter." The AI responded. 

"Close," the girl said with a wince. "It's Kate." Peter almost dropped her. He hadn't meant to get her name. "But… Thanks for the hand, Spider-man." 

"Hey, I'm just doing my job." 

"No one asked you to do this." The girl, Kate gritted between teeth. "And no one else would have helped. So thanks." 

Peter didn't know what to say, so he said nothing at all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A rouge Kate appears! I love Kate. 
> 
> Thanks for all the kudos and comments, lovlies. 
> 
> Next up: Martin Li announces his candidacy for mayor, Peter talks to a homeless kid about their missing friend, and Rhodey takes Morgan for the weekend.

**Author's Note:**

> Kudos and comments appreciated. 
> 
> #yellatmetowrite


End file.
